This is more hope than anything, but every signal UConn is sending via the press is a middle finger to ESPN.
"We're interested in the Big 12."
"If we don't get into the Big 12, we're interested in the Big East. And our football won't be staying in the AAC."
"Long-term, we're trying to get into the AAU and we see Michigan, tOSU, Penn State & Wisconsin as our peer institutions."
Common thread? Big 12, Big East & B1G are all mostly Fs1 properties. I think Herbst, Malley et al are going to flirt with other conferences as much as possible -- let them get to third base, and halfway home -- in the hopes of getting ESPN to crack open the ACC and force us into the mix.
The natural response is "Why would the ACC do that? They already have a contract." And the answer is "Because their TV/streaming/new media partner said so." Even with the current cable climate the ACC is beholden to ESPN in a big, big way.
Also, I have a few friends at FS1. They all say that they think UConn will end up in the ACC "eventually." None of them would be in the room with any current negotiations, but all understand the lay of the land very, very well.